Now available from Rapi-do Trains is their latest HO release of Hyundai 53-foot insulated domestic intermo-dal containers. To the uninitiated, containers used in intermodal freight transport might all seem the same, but even a cursory look will reveal intermodal containers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors in a multitude of configurations throughout North America and the world. So what is this talk about a "domestic" container? And what the is the difference between a "domestic" container and an "international" (ISO) or "sea" container? As their name implies, "domestic" containers are designed expressly for transport over land via truck and rail. As they have been optimized for lighter weight and greater capacity, domestic containers in North America are not designed to be stacked any higher than two units when loaded. International or ocean-going containers are built to much higher standards for strength and durability to withstand the rigors of transport by sea, where they are often stacked 20+ high atop each other within the wells of gargantuan container ships. Domestic containers are also typically wider, at 102 inches in girth, vs. 96 inches for international containers. In terms of length, early domestic containers measured 48 feet in length in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but 53 feet is now the predominant standard length for domestic containers in North America. International containers seen in North America are typically 20, 40 or 45 feet in length.
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